PIERCETON - With advanced Technology and the Amber Alert System, Pierceton Town Marshal Tim Sammons told the Whitko Community School Board of Trustees Monday more missing children are being found.

But to help increase the safety and recovery of missing children, Sammons presented the school board with a program he came up with that he said will assist police officers if a Whitko student turns up missing.

The school board took no action on the matter.

The program will be strictly voluntary, Sammons said. Information regarding the program will be sent home with each student at the schools the board chooses. If the parent decides to participate, the parent will receive one descriptive identification card for each child, equipment to take a DNA sample of their child, a medical release form and a safety tip sheet.

The parent will have to provide a wallet-size color photo of their child, but the photograph as well as the biographical information will be returned. No information on the children will be kept.

Cost is $3.75 per kit, Sammons said, but $1 goes back to either the school or the school corporation, depending on what the school board decides.

"I tried to keep this as cheap as possible," he said. "... This is not a fund-raiser."

Parents would be in charge of keeping the DNA sample and biographical information themselves.

If the school corporation decides to participate in the program, Sammons said he would want the information on the program to go home on a Monday and require it to be returned by Wednesday or Thursday so there's a good turnaround time on it.

"If it goes well," he said, "I wold like to see it happen every year."

Whitko Superintendent Jeff Hendrix said he thought the program was another opportunity "to keep our kids safe. The reason I'm excited about it is the parent holds all the information."

"I think it's a terrific program," said Hal Trump, board member.

With the holidays, Sammons said, if the school corporation decides to make use of the program, it should be after the start of the new year.

In other business, the school board:

• Approved to assess each Whitko High School students a $1 fee per trimester for computer-related equipment consumables.

• Announced information is available at the central office for anyone interested in running for a seat on the Whitko School Board next year.

• Recognized Whitko High School senior Matt Metzger as the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen for 2004.

• Received a certificate of appreciation from the Shrine Club for their efforts in helping send students to the circus every year.

• Heard that the next Pierceton Elementary School PTO meeting is Jan. 5 at 6 p.m.

• Approved the 2004-05 school calendar as proposed.

• Approved the resignations/terminations/retirements of Steven Olsen, varsity volleyball coach, Whitko High School; Mark Rickerd, girls' track coach, WHS; Lance Hershberger, discontinued as boys' varsity assistant basketball coach, WHS, effective winter 2003-04; and Mary Harting, Wawasee Middle School teacher retiring effective the end of the 2003-04 school year.

• Held the first reading of the board policy revisions as reviewed and changed by Neola Inc., a consulting firm.

• Adopted the North Central Indiana Cooperative Special Education services policies as presented.

• Approved a resolution authorizing temporary loans to meet current expenses from the Indiana Bond Bank.

• Gave permission for Director of Informational Services Joel Yeager to survey students on technology use.

• Approved an agreement with American Red Cross of Northeast Indiana for the Red Cross to use the buildings, grounds and equipment of Whitko Schools in the event of disasters.

Members of the Whitko School Board are Pete Mitchell, E. Marie Trump, Dave Tranter, Hal Trump and Michael Braddock.

• Parents ask board to look into son's educational plight

PIERCETON - Since kindergarten, Lisa and Max Busz's son needed a little extra help with his schoolwork.

When their son finally reached high school, he decided to attempt Whitko's honors program.

He was warned he might fail. But he had received help from Sylvan Learning Center and was determined to try. His parents told the Whitko Community School Corp. Board of Trustees Monday they were proud of him for trying.

He also loves to play basketball, so he played on the Whitko basketball team this year as a freshman.

But because of a failing grade in an English class, and an algebra class that was only worth two-thirds of a credit, when grades came out, Brian Busz was told he didn't have enough credits to continue playing basketball.

But Lisa and Max want Brian to play ball as much as they want him to succeed in the classroom. So Monday they asked the school board if there was anything they could do to help Brian so he could play basketball again.

Max said year after year, they run into the same problem with Brian - his information never gets passed on. So he struggles in the classroom and the teachers don't know why he is struggling until Lisa and Max tell the teacher that Brian just needs a little more help than other students.

Lisa said her son loves basketball and was told even if he flunked one class, he could still play. Brian did all he could, she said, and even brought some of his grades up. But he still didn't pass the college English course. His teacher, Bonnie Twait, said no matter what Brian did, he probably wouldn't pass, Lisa said.

Still, Brian played one basketball game. But because his algebra course was only worth two-thirds of a credit, and with that flunking grade, he didn't have enough credits to continue playing.

Information was sent to the Indiana High School Athletic Association, Lisa said, to try to get her son's eligibility back under a special clause. The IHSAA refused him.

Lisa told the school board they were there Monday to see if the school board could do anything to help. She said they believe their son is being punished despite all the hard work he's done because of errors beyond his control - his counselor should not have allowed him to take the English honors course.

Brian has dropped out of the honors program and gone back into the Core 40 classes since this all has happened, Lisa said.

No. 1, of course, Max said, they would love to see their son play basketball. But also, they want the communication between schools fixed.

Board president Dave Tranter asked WHS principal Jim Suding if the school was following the letter of the law as it stands now. Suding said they are following the guidelines and handbook policies.

It is unlikely the IHSAA will change its ruling on the matter, Suding said, without a court challenge, but he wasn't sure if that would be worth the school corporation's time. Brian can still practice, he just cannot compete against other schools without full credits. The grading period ends at the end of February.

Tranter then asked Lisa if the Buszes were asking the school board to change the rules and handbook for their son. She said that algebra class was worth only two-thirds of a credit while a physical education class was worth more, and she asked that the school board look at changing that. She said school officials recognize they shouldn't have put Brian in that English course.

Tranter told Lisa and Max they were asking the school board to make a decision without research. While he said he sympathizes with them, they couldn't make a decision fast enough for their son to play basketball. They are not dealing with emotions, he said, but rules and regulations. The earliest the school board could do anything would be at the January meeting.

Suding said two other students also have been affected by the algebra course, which is worth only two-thirds of a credit per trimester. If they made an exception for Brian, they would have to make exceptions for all.

Tranter said all they could do was take the matter under advisement.

Pete Mitchell, board member, said he agreed with Lisa and Max that "the information should move with the child."

Lisa said they were told the only reason Brian's information would pass from one school to another is if he was a special education student, and he is not.

Board member Michael Braddock said he will check into why Brian's information was not passed on. [[In-content Ad]]